R&B / jazz / pop vocal stylist and pianist from West Baltimore. In 1947 she joined a teen jazz group called Riley’s Octet, which played local venues. By 1950 Ethel struck up a songwriter partnership with a writer from Dundalk named Bill Everhart. Several of their songs were recorded by Riley’s Octet. Their composition “Little Boy” was picked up by Savoy Records in New York and released by Little Sylvia and the Heywood Henry Orchestra (Savoy 816). The song was subsequently covered by many artists including a version by Little Richard. The song was released locally on Monumental Records as “Little Girl” by Bobby Everhart & the Stagehands.
Ethel made appearances on the WAAM-TV program “It’s High Time.” She worked with the Count Lantz Quartet at the Red Fox. She joined the Tilters in 1951 (seen at Sherrie’s Musical Bar, Spa Club), then joined the JoJo Jones Ensemble in 1952, and worked with bassist Monty Poulson as a duo for several years at clubs such as the Zanzibar, Phil’s Lounge, Club Casino, and the Red Fox. Later ‘50s appearances in local clubs featured backing by the Internationals. Her local backing groups in the ‘60s included the Swinging Continentals, and the Jazzateers. Many of Baltimore’s finest jazz musicians played behind Ethel over the years.
The Red Fox lounge became Ethel’s home base for many years. Owner George Fox became Ethel’s manager. In 1955 Fox negotiated a recording contract with Jubilee Records in New York where Ethel recorded her first album “Lullaby’s for Losers” (Jubilee 1021). She began touring clubs throughout the east coast including an extended stint at the famous Apollo Theater.
In 1957 she signed with Atco Records and released the single “A Pair of Fools.” In late 1957 she signed with Capitol Records. Capitol staff photographer Popsie Randolph (onetime drummer for Benny Goodman) suggested to Ethel that she try out for Goodman’s vocalist position for the 1958 European tour to include the World’s Fair in Brussels. Competing against hundreds of singers Ethel won the audition and traveled with the band to represent American jazz music. Due to her contract with Capitol, Ethel does not appear on the “Benny in Brussels” Columbia Records LP’s., however she is represented on Musicmasters recordings from the Benny Goodman archives at Yale University.
The next few years consisted of tours throughout the U.S. and Europe including appearances with jazz greats Miles Davis, Duke Ellington, Count Basie, Louis Armstrong, Joe Williams, and many others. She was nominated as Best Female Singer in the 1961 Playboy Jazz Poll.
In 1963 she signed with RCA Records. With several LP releases she toured nationally and made television appearances including the Steve Allen Show. Her performance at the 1964 Newport Jazz Festival backed by an all-star jazz group elicited rave reviews in the New York Times and Downbeat magazine. Her third RCA album “Eyes for You” rated 4 stars in Downbeat and featured hometown musicians Walt Namuth (guitar), and Jimmy Wells (vibes).
Below: Ethel Ennis – Photo from 1964 RCA album “Once Again” Promo for RCA Records LP “This Is Ethel Ennis”
Ethel performed regularly on the Arthur Godfrey Show from 1965-1973. She performed at the 1965 Monterey Jazz Festival. Continued tours of the U.S. and abroad included extended stops at the Red Onion (Aspen, Colorado), the Fremont Hotel (Las Vegas), and Annie’s Room (London).
She released her fourth RCA album in 1965 “My Kind of Waltztime.”
By 1966 Ethel had grown tired of the rigors of the recording business and returned to Baltimore picking up where she left off at the Red Fox. She married Baltimore Sun feature writer and critic Earl Arnett in 1967. During the late 1960s she continued sporadic touring of clubs throughout U.S. cities including Spokane, Los Angeles, Las Vegas, Aspen, etc…
In 1970 Ethel performed for Baltimore’s first City Fair at Hopkin’s Plaza. She returned for performances in subsequent years.
In 1972 Ethel was invited by Vice President Spiro Agnew to sing her acapella version of the National Anthem at the Republican Convention in Florida. Her performance was so well received that she was asked to perform for President Nixon’s Second Inauguration on January 20, 1973.
Ethel and Earl formed ENE Productions in 1972. In collaboration with New York songwriter Gladys Shelley, Ethel released several singles on the Spiral label. In 1973 the album “Ten Sides of Ethel Ennis” (BASF 25121) was released. The album featured an all-star lineup of local musicians. For the next couple of years Ethel worked with the Maryland Department of Instructional Television creating and performing an award-winning television series called “Book, Look, and Listen.”
Ethel performed regularly at the King of France Tavern at the Maryland Inn (Annapolis) where she recorded an album in 1980 with O’Donel Levy (guitar) and Charlie Covington (keyboards). She also performed at the Royal Roost, the 1980 AFRAM Festival, and the local Artscape Festivals…
In 1984 Ethel and Earl opened Ethel’s Place, a jazz oriented live music club which also hosted rock, blues, country, and other musical styles. Ethel performed there regularly. In 1988 the club was sold and subsequently became known as Blues Alley.
Ethel has been awarded an honorary Doctor of Fine Arts degree from the Maryland Institute College of Art, and was nominated to the Frederick Douglass High School Hall of Fame. In 1982 Ethel and Earl were named “Official Cultural Ambassadors to the City of Baltimore” by Mayor William Donald Schaefer. As cultural ambassador, she introduced American jazz at a music festival in Xiamen, China, a sister city. She has also appeared five times in Rotterdam, another sister city, and represented the United States in Norway during a commemoration of the first American soldier killed in World War II. Her Turkish concerts in 1996 at the Ankara International Music Festival and for the Turkish-American Association “deeply impressed the audiences with the magic of jazz.” She returned to Turkey for repeat performances in 1997 and traveled to Germany in 1999 to present a free concert for the citizens of Bonn (Beethoven’s birthplace), a parting gift from the US Embassy before it moved to Berlin. She returned in 2000 at the request of German officials to perform in Berlin for the annual RIAS convention. In 2002, she sang at the Saluzzo Music Festival in Italy. In addition to occasional international concerts, she performed annually at the Lionel Hampton Jazz Festival at the University of Idaho and in such local venues as the Montpelier Cultural Arts Center in Laurel, the Rams Head Tavern in Annapolis and Avalon Theater in Easton.
Much of this biography is from the book “Ethel Ennis: The Reluctant Jazz Star” By Sallie Kravetz (1984. Gateway Press). Thanks to Earl Arnett and Ethel Ennis.
Single releases by Ethel Ennis include:
1956 Jubilee 5236 I’ve Got You Under My Skin / Off Shore
1957 Atco 6096 A Pair of Fools /Got It in My Blood (To Love You)
1957 Capitol 603/604 I Still Get a Thrill / My Foolish Heart
1964 RCA 47-8379 The Boy from Ipanema / When Will the Hurt Be Over
1964 RCA 47-8448 Matchmaker, Matchmaker / Now I Have Everything
1964 RCA 47-8491 For A Little While / San Juan
1965 RCA 47-8592 I’ve Got That Feeling / About Love
1965 RCA 47-8733 We Could Learn Together / Look at Me
1972 City Fair 3538 Clown Town / Does It Hurt to Love
1972 Spiral 1234 Who Is It This Time / Call Me Young
1972 Spiral 1235 Does It Hurt to Love / Clown Town
1972 Spiral 1237 / 38 Sing Me A Tune / I Wonder Who My Daddy Is
1973 Spiral I Believe in Love / I Wonder Who My Daddy Is
1976 SNS Yankee Disco / America 200
Albums by Ethel Ennis:
1956 Jubilee 1021 Lullabies for Losers
1957 Capitol 941 Change of Scenery
1958 Capitol 1078 Have You Forgotten?
1963 Jubilee 5024 Ethel Ennis Sings
1964 RCA 2786 This Is Ethel Ennis
1964 RCA 2862 Once Again
1964 RCA 2984 Eyes for You
1965 RCA 2986 My Kind of Waltztime
19** Pickwick33 PC3021 Ethel Ennis
1973 RCA Camden 0157 God Bless the Child
1973 BASF 25121 10 Sides of Ethel Ennis
1980 ENE 3113 Live at The Maryland Inn
1994 Hildner Prod. Ethel Ennis
1998 Savoy 18088 If Women Ruled the World
1999 Bass Buddies, Blues & Beauty (with Keter Betts)
In addition to the discography listed above, Ethel’s song “He Loves Me” was included on the 1964 various artists compilation “Oldsmobile Spotlights the New Stars in Action” (RCA 167). Her song “Let’s Go Back to School” was pressed by Recordings Incorporated on an acetate disc circa 1963 but was never released.
